Rural-delivery postal box.



PATENTBD JAN. 8, 1907.

, 0, M wleems. RURAL DELIVERY POSTAL BOX. APPLIUATIPN 171L111) JULY 5, 1906- I if I box, showing the'adjusting-lever.

Jo ml! .wlwin' itmay concern: Y

Be it known thatI, CHARLES, M. :Wreems,

' of AndalusiaQin the county ofiCovingtonand State of Alabama, have invented ycertain 5 new and useful Improvements in Rural-Deilivery Postal-Boxesg and I hereby declare that the fellowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,=reference:bei' had to the accqmpanying drawings, which orm part ofthis specification. w I 1 I This invention is an improvement 'ruraldelivery postal boxes and like receptacles wherein mail or'other' matter is placed by one party for removal by another; and its object is to' provide an improved signaling device whereby the depositor can'v'isually not' ltisempty. I

The invention consists in the novel, signaling device by which the semaphore can be set to either empty or -.collect position and when set in one position-will remain locked in such position until the box is opened and the signal chalfged by hand, the -signal-controlling devices being located in the box and adapted to be positively locked when adjusted so that the signal cannot be ,casually displaced either from the inside or outside 'of the :box,although its controlling-' lever can "be readily manipulated when'the boxis opened. 3

The signal is attachable to different makes and styles of boxesythe boxshown in the drawin s being merely illustrative and not restrictive thereof. i The invention will .be clearly understood from the following description andrthe acicompanyi drawings, in which Flgure 11s a front view of a ruralfre-dei livery mail-box with signal set atcollect position in full lines and at empty position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an inside view of the 3 is 4 a vertical section through Fig- 2. and5are details. a f The'boxA is ofany'suitable construction,

provided with a cover a, which can be locked when closed b any suitable means, as customary in rural free-deliveryb'oxes; .On the outside of the box is a semaphore or signal 0 of anyv desired kind attached to 'a lever 'c,

which a of the box to which it is attached. Thisile-' verfcis connected at its lower end to a pivot 55 supported in and extending through a suit g or ann'aiiusi i, ALABAMA.

. r giicati i fileai iy a iece."'se tii szasosi the box and 1s retained to the bolt in such manner that they cannot I i gras ed by the box to from stud G and turn it down and lockit to stud g, as indicated in dotted lines,? which bring thesemaphore lower or empty swmgs m a plane parallel with the side ,ip'lacements.

able am-'1 in he saturate; its

this W is f medra baux'wtah passes through anaperture thefside wall of end. Attached to the ivotl) w thin'the boxis a sett ng-lever .E, w 'ch is ,preterably parallel with leverc." Both leverscEare, attached turnthereon, For instance, the bolt could be squared, asindicated mang gland the lovers 0 E have-.squaredapcll't lf sifittmg the squared 'ortion of; fbolt 1):. washers F an f may be.;i ri terposed between the levers and the sidego f'the-lboxfai dfla o ify washer f between the nut; analges a;- if the collector thatmatter is in the box orthat not material, provided that; l the, levers, .are

held in fixed relation and can beswung to 75 f 'gether on or with the pivot. I

The lever E is preferably resilient'and has its upper end shalped so that it can be readily and, as by being bent in; war 1y, as at e, and it is provided nearits 8' free .end with an a erture by which it can be engaged with and ocked to either 'ot t'wo pro-- JectionS or studs G g,-Which are attached to the wallgof the box and .projectinwardly therefrom in any suitable manner. When the lever E is engaiged with the upper stud G, the semaphorewi be locked in collect posi tion, si that there is matterin the' e removed. .W'hen thebox'is em tied, the collector shonldfdisengage lever l position. y

It will be observed that the l ev :er E maps only be operated from inside thei-hoxfand when the cover is opened and that it has sufficient resiliency to enable itto be sp oil or out of engagement with either 'studa or g, but will naturally to either" studIthe semaphorecannot" be moved from outside the box, and c o'nse quently 1 casual displacement of the same-'- ph g il'leis'eflelctually' reyented. I

es'fa cano emanua =o 'It is pos ii ti oned and i not liable t o It is 'simple and easilycom' istfrgcted and attachable to anyoi'dinaryr'form o ox.

engage such ,studsf Q; when brought over the same; ",vvhenllockedj the box, a semaphorefast to t 1e pivot out- ;tingever to lock Having'described my invention, what I l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is

. 1. In combination, a box, a sema ihorelever outside the box, a pivot to whic 1 said lever is attached extending through the wall of the box, a settin -lever in the box attached to-the inner end of the pivot, and devices in q the box ada ted to be engaged by said settinglever to locil: it and the semaphore in either collect" or empty position.

2.'In combination with a box havim a cover, a pivot extending throu h the wall of side. the box, an operating-lever fast to the pivot inside the box,'.and devices adjacent said ivot adapted to be engaged by the setit ineither extreme position. a

3. In combination with a box, a semaphore a boltv transfixing the wall of the box, a semaphore-carrying lever fixed to the outer endof the bolt, a spring settin -lever fixed to the inner end of t 1ebolt, and devices on the inner wall of the box adjacent the lever adapted to baennaged by the setting-lever to lock itin 1 either of its extreme positions, said semaphore opened, substantially as described.

being adjustable only when the box is 4. In a rural free-deliver mail-box signal, the combination of a box aving a cover, a

semaphore-lever outside the box, a pivot-bolt to which through the wall of the box, a setting-lever said lever is attached extending attached to the inner end of the bolt, and devices inside the box adapted to be engaged by said inner lexer to lock it and the somaphore in.either collect or empty posi- Hon.

5. In combination with a box having a cover,a bolt transfixing the wall of the box, a semaphore-carrying lever fixed to the outer end ofthe bolt, a swing setting-lever fixed to the inner end of t e bolt, studs attached to the wall of the box adjacent the lever, and adapted to engage an aperture in the set-tinglever to lock it in either of its extreme positions, said semaphore bein adjustable only when the box is opened, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. WIGGINS.

In presence of A. WHALEY,

W. H. J owns. 

